Dr. Quinn makes house decor calls

HOME FRONT

August 01, 2004|By Lori Sears | Lori Sears,SUN STAFF

Just call Jane Seymour a Renaissance woman. The Broadway, film and TV actress, author, mother of six, lecturer, painter, fashion designer and, most recently, home-decor maven, has been plenty busy since her Dr. Quinn, Medicine Woman days. Most recently, Seymour partnered with Saks Department Store Group to create the Jane Seymour St. Catherine's Court Home Collection in 2003, a line of furniture and textiles inspired by the gardens and interiors of St. Catherine's, her 14th-century manor house in Bath, England. And this summer, in celebration of the collection's first anniversary, Seymour is introducing two new product lines within the collection.

The English Laurel line, a group of garden-inspired products, includes linen bedding with simple embellishments ($34.99-$449.99), lighting fixtures with fabric shades, decorative mirrors, etched glass bath accessories ($19.99-$29.99) and more.

Find the Jane Seymour Home Collection at www.janeseymourhome.com or call 866-333-5995.

Designers hope to make the grade

Final exams are grueling. Often exhausting and rigorous, these tests of learned knowledge also test one's mettle. The exams in the new Home & Garden Television series Designer Finals are no exception. Hoping to make the grade, top design students from several prestigious design schools work with their first clients, designing and executing their first professional job in just two days and on the slim budget of $2,000.

The rookie designers consult with a homeowner, devise a first draft with sketches, and once the homeowner approves the plan, they'll shop for materials, recruit work crews, oversee all work and then present the newly designed space to the homeowner.

The series airs at 9:30 p.m. Thursday and Aug. 12 and then moves to its regular slot at 9 p.m. Saturdays beginning Aug. 14. Visit www.HGTV.com.

Hot wiring is not cool

If your home is more than 30 years old, your wiring may not be capable of handling all those new electrical products and appliances you've been hooking up. Underwriters Laboratories advises consumers to look out for these warning signs that may indicate wiring in need of upgrading:

Your lights flicker or dim when another appliance is turned on. This may be a sign of a loose connection, improper wiring or overloaded circuits.

Your house has no three-pronged outlets. New houses are required to have them everywhere, including outdoors. If you have none, your system is outdated.

You smell burning metal or plastic. This may indicate a loose connection, malfunctioning switch, overheating component or a damaged wire.

Cords, plugs, switch plates or receptacles are hot and discolored. If any are too hot to touch for more than five seconds, there may be an overload or product malfunction.

Contact a licensed electrician if you notice any of these signs. For more tips, visit www.ul.com or call 877-ULHELPS.